Cherry-seeding machine.



R. MQDOWELL. CHERRY SBEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED rum, 1911.

Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

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CHERRY SEEDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED IEB.7, 1911.

Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

L3 5 SHEBTS-SHBET 2 m Q r). L3 L!) (D [:3 g- N (June/04 I 5 ag/McDowell R. M DOWELL. CHERRY SEEDING MACHINE APPLICATION IILBD rnnw, 1911.

1 948,33 1. Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

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CHERRY SEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED rmm, 1911,

1,048, 3 3 1 I Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

5 SIIIJETS'SHEET 4 R. MQDOWELL. CHERRY SEBDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED PEBJ, 1911.

1 ,O48,331 v Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

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ROY MCDOWELL, OF SALEM, OREGON.

CHERRY-SEEDI'NG MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24,1912.

Application filed February 7, 1911. Serial No. 607,047.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, For MoDowunn, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, in the county of Marion and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cherry-Seeding Machines, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to improvements in pitting machines and more particularly to machines for removing the pits from cherries or the like.

One object of the invention is to provide a machine, which will automatically feed the cherries and prevent crowding the same, so that one cherry at a time will be delivered to the pitter proper.

.:Another object is to provide an efficient means for holding the cherries, while being pitted, means for forcing the stones therefrom, and means for removing the cherries from the pitter-plunger and deflecting them off the machine.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, and with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine, Fig. 2 is a top plan view, Fig. 3 is an end elevation, Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 66 of Fig. 3, Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of the shaking feeding troughs, showing in dotted lines the movements of same, Fig. 8 is an enlarged end view of the pitter plunger. Fig. 9 is an enlarged side elevation partly in section, of the pitting device, Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view of a modification of the pitting device, Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the same.

In the accompanying drawings. 1 represents the forward uprights, 2 the rear uprights, 3 the horizontal longitudinal members, and 4 the horizontal transverse members of the main frame of the machine. On each of the longitudinal members 3, is secured a series of vertical supporting brackets I 5, 6 and 7, adapted to support the inclined feeding troughs 8, 9 and 10. The troughs 8 and 10 are secured stationar with respect to the membersfl and at eitii er end of the trough 9, the trough 10 feeding to the trough 9, while the trough 8 receives the cherries therefrom and delivers them to the pitter. 'lhe trough 9 has a block 12 on its lower face and transversely through said block is journalcd a crank 13, on the outer end of which 1s a sprocket'wheel 14. The lower end of this trough is provided with another block similar to the one just mentioned, through which extends the swinging guide arm 15, the lower end of which is pivotally mounted on the member 3. The upper or rear end of the trough 9 is provided with a series of curved rake fingers 16, which extend rearwardly and upwardly into the lower end of the trough 10, and mesh with a similar set of teeth 17 extending forwardly and .upwardly from the lower end of the trough 10. The rotation of the crank 13 through the medium of the sprocket 14 imparts a vertical oscillating movement to the trough 9,

one of the cherries which is fed into the trough 10, lifting the same upwardly and delivering it into the trough 9, and when said trough moves downwardly, the remaining cherries in the trough 10 will roll against the fingers 17. Thus when the trough 9 moves up and down, it picks a single cherry from the trough 10 and delivers the same to "the trough 9, while the rest of the cherries hre held in check.

At. the rear end of the member 3 of the frame, are the vertical supporting brackets 17 which are composed of thin, flat resilient metal, and on the upper ends of these brackets, is mounted the main feeding container 18, into which are dumped the cherrics to be fed to the machine. Suitably. journalcd between the brackets 17, on the member 3 and running transversely of the frame, is a shaft 19, having formed in its central portion a crank 20 and mounted on one end a pulley 19'. Vertical supports 21, on the mcmbersiipivotally support a rocker arm 22 having in its lower end an elongated slot 23 in which the crank 20 is adapted to play; At the upper end of the arm 22 is a fork 24, which straddles a pin 25 disposed on the lower face of the container 18. A revolution of the shaft 19 will cause the rocking of the arm 22-and'the vibration of the container 18, so that the cherries which are contained therein, will be shaken into the trough 10. A sprocket chain 30 is the fingers 16 moving upwardly to grasp 29, the latter of which is on the end of the sh aft 28 Mounted below the n'ieinhers 3, on the uprights 1 and in suitable hezirii'igs 27, is the transversely arrangiul shaft 28, having tl'iereon sprocket wheel '3, which (lriVes the sprocket wheel. 14. by means of a sprocket chain 30. This sprocket wheel 39 is dieposed outwardly of the uprights, and on the same shaft 28 on the opposite side of the uprights, is a gear wheel ll u'lnrh is engag d by a similar wheel 32 on a second sl'iait 33 journaled on the uprights and below the shaft The power is applied to the shaEt 33 by means of alarge belt pulley 34-, motion being transi'nitted by means of the gear wheels 31 and 32 and chain and belt 26, to simultaneously rock the trough 9 and vibrate the container lS. (in each end of the shaft 28 and outwardly of the u iirig-hts 1, are keyed the cranks 3%, which are connected by means of the pitnicn 36, to a transverse bar. 37 extending; acrose the upper part of themaeh'ine, said bar being suitably guided in tin b "Afl\' 3' on the iiiprights 1 so that a poelo 0e vertical movement insured. Secured to and depending from the bar 3i, between the uprights 1, are the two pitting plungers 3-9 suitably guided in the brackets 40 on the up ights.

M muted, in the outer end of the brackets 44- secured on the uprights l. and extending transversely of the machine, a shalt. 45 having secured thereto, the two deflector plates 4-6, which are adapted to swing across the path of the plungers 39. the said shaft 45 having a'weighted arm 47, to hold the pla in their normal, lowered positions. A stripper plate 48 is disposed just above the brackets 44. and is provided with suitable openings to allow the plungers to move il'ierethrough. A vertically moving rod 49, is secured to the cross-bar 37 and has on its lower end a head 50 which engages in the forked end of an arm 51, also mounted on the sh; l t 15, and when the pit/tors are raised the rod l9 moves upwardly therewith and causes the head 50 to engage the arm 51, carrying it upwardly and swinging the do fieetor plates 46 under the plungersl The stripper plate 48 engages the cherry which sticks to the plunger and pushes the same of? to drop on to the plate 46 from which it is deflected into an outlet trough and into a, suitable receptacle, not el'iown. When the plunger moves downwardly the arm 51 is carried douu'iwardly by means of" the weighted arm 47 and the plate 46 permitted to assun'ie a 'ertioal position in the trough 8 to prevent the cherries falling; into the trough.

Tn tile modificatiim in Figs. 10 and it on the trout of the members (it the Frame is a. bloat 41 formed with the (,(Hill'iiflrilfllt re: nurs s 13 and the vertical o 'ienines 42", into which the cherries are rl liverod one at a own they will. push the i time. from the troi 739 more up and L.

pits from the cherries in the recesses i3" through the openings 42 of the block ll". This hloi-k hinged to across piece 56 for a purpose to he referred to later.

A rertieally moving rod &5 is secured at its upper end to the plunger 39 and has on its lower end 251i inwardly extending toot/4G which engages under the bottom of the block l. and lion 1 1e pittere are raised, the foot ll) nu x'en upwardly swinging the block 41 mi its hiu and tllfillllillglllg the contained cherry. hen the plunger moves downwardly, the block ll carried downwardly by menus oi the toot. H3 and the block ll permitted to assume a horizontal position to receive the next: (berries falling from the lhuler the block it aridfinounted in brackets -'-lrevoluhly thereon a rotary brush -19 adapted to brush oil the seeds or at ones which have been pushed through the blot-it. This shaft carries a pulley 50, and is driven by means of the belt ill troin the pulley f2 on the shall.

From the foregoing, will thus be seen that l have prevail d an ellieient device of this character, and one in which the cherries are positively ted one by one to the pitter the pits being quickly removed from the plungers while the cherries are deflected from the i'nachine.

it; will. be apparent that changes in the form; 'n'oportions, and minor details of conslrutrtion may he resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the mlrantiie'es ot' the invtmtion.

ll hat is claimed is:

l. in a cherry pitting inaohino comprising a i'rau'un. the mnnbiuation with a pitting means, oi"? a vibrating conlhiner on said frame, a stationary eontainer adjacent naid t rough, stop lingers on the stationary trough Wherry engaging lingers on the rocking trough, and means for simultaneously moving' the rocking trough and the vibrating con tain er.

53. in a cherry seeding machine a supporting 'lrainm apitting device at one end oi" the l'lzllll lle ible supports on the opporite end of the 'ti'anie a cherry container moi-rntwl on he tletihle supports a. rock arm uuiunteil, on .7: :lraine one oi" the rock arm being engaged with the container, an inclined stationary trough located adjacent the stationary trough section and adapted to receive cherries therefrom, the lower end Of the stationary trough having upwardly curved fingers for holding the cherries in check, an inclined rocking trough located in advance of the stationary tron h, upwardly curved fingers on the upper on of the rocking trough, the last-n1cntioned fin ers inter meshing with the first-mentioned fingers, the lower end of the rocking trough discharging cherries to the pitting device, and means for simultaneously driving the pitting device, rocking the rocking trough, and vibrating the container.

4. In. a cherry seeding machine having a frame, the combination with an intermittent pitting device, including a pitting plunger,

a feeding device, a pivotal y mounted angular plate, said plate on'the frame being disposed adjacent the pitting device and the feeding -device, and means carried by the plunger for rocking the angular plate, whereby when the plungers are raised, the angular plate will discharge the pitted cherrice, and when lowered retard the flow of cherries to the pitting device.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

ROY MCDOWELL. Witnesses:

JoHN H. McNmY, ALICE DROSBAUGH. 

